The government has suspended the use of the Electronic voucher system to distribute farming inputs to farmers under the 2021-2022 farming season in Western, Southern and some parts of Lusaka province.
Agriculture Minister Reuben Mtolo said that the suspension of the system has been considered because it has contributed to delays in the distribution of the inputs. Mr. Mtolo has told ZNBC News in an interview that government resorted to the direct supply method to expedite the distribution exercise.
He further disclosed that the government has completed the distribution of the inputs to farmers in some provinces.
Meanwhile, Mr. Mtolo warned those destabilizing the distribution of farming inputs in all provinces, saying government is aware of some agriculture officers, political party cadres and business people taking advantage of some farmers under FISP and selling fertiliser allocated to them in neighbouring countries.
Mr. Mtolo said those found wanting risk being arrested and that Government will NOT protect anyone despite their political affiliation.
He added that agriculture officers involved risk losing their jobs and taken to jail.
And the Agriculture Minister has directed the Food Reserve Agency (FRA) to expedite the payment of surplus farmers who supplied their maize to the agency.
Mr. Mtolo also clarified that the FRA paid all farmers that supplied their Maize to the agency and that those that have not been paid are farmers who supplied maize after the agency met its targeted tonnage.
When people want to commit fraud they rig the system. The e-Voucher system is the most efficient and takes care of accountability but criminals don’t like it because it seal the input leakages. So in order to frustrate the process they deliberately slow down the system. It’s difficult to ascertain whether the right beneficiaries got their inputs using the manual system. This is how fertilizer and seed find their way into tuntemba. Even some crooked commercial farmers buy this stolen fertilizer and seed at lower prices from these characters. I urge the Minister not to give up on this system. It’s better he fires some chaps to send a strong message. We can’t allow them to continue with the same tricks
This upnd government is chimbwi no plan. One step forward one step backward. The effect is zero. A government of lies upon lies.
#1 Ayatollah…I saw some press brief where it’s alleged that the e.voucher system was used only in anti PF areas. Very sad that we can sink so low. As far I know the direct personal e.voucher system was changed to where the head of cooperative receives all the inputs while we members are electronically informed that the inputs are with Mr Musokotwane who’s the Head of the particular co-op. The delay most certainly was due to suspicions by Upnd specifically on who the suppliers were. Even here it was very very late. Like you said it’s the most effective system but where there’s a human involved expect snags. The PF wanted to win the election so it’s just logical that they would have gone an extra mile to satisfy the SP, WP and NWP.